Louis and Religion Minorities

• They were geographically close to Versailles- people out of favour would go to Port Royale, therefore Louis felt them as a political & religious threat
• They didn't believe in worldly wealth, therefore Louis felt it was an attack on the splendour of Versailles
• Disloyal during the Frondes, therefore a political threat to his absolutism
• Doctrinal differences between them and Jesuits:
  • Jansenists believed in predestination, and that faith only could bring salvation
  • Jesuits believed good work & faith brought salvation
• Jansenists believed in personal relationship with God and broughtout the role of the laity- it was a threat to the hierarchical structure
• Potential danger due to being intellectual- writers of books eg. Blaise Paschal

• Personal revenge- assasinated his grandfather Henri IV
• Changing influence at court:
  • death of Colbert in 1683- replaced by military Louivois
  • influence of Mme. de Maintenon
• Wanted to be the 'Most Christian King' v.s his main rival Emperor Leopold
• Huguenots were protestant:
  • followers of Jansen
  • believers in predestination + a personal relationship with God
  • Louis had promised to eradicate heresy at his coronation in 1654
• Recent victory against the Dutch, therefore gained incentive to go against Huguenots- if he could eradicate heresy abroad, why not at home?
• Truce of Ratisbon (1684)- Louis was at the hight of his power
• France was the only country with legal rights for Huguenots
• For Louis, religious uniformity was essential for his political absolutism. Belief in one King, one law, one faith

• Religious reasons:
  • non-conformists
  • believed in the Holy Spirit + that priets wern't necessary
  • Everyone had a personal relationship with God

This all lead to ....

• Political reasons:
  • offended his sense of a RC Church, which was based on hierarchy + therefore they were a threat to politicl stability
  • Louis needed uniformity/conformity in order to prevent a repeat of the Wars of Religion
  • Fenelon became a vocal critic of Louis in the later part of his reign, which coincided with the wars (9 yrs war/ war of spanish succession)

• 1673: Louis extended Right of Regale without asking permission of Pope Innocent XI. It was a question of 'authority'. What authority did Louis posses in his own kingdom regarding spiritual matters. Louis believed it was a secular (financial) issue not spiritual
• 1682:Louis insulted the Pope with the direct attack of the Gallican articles
  • 4 articles- said that Papal Bulls were subject to authority of assembly of Clergy + Louis himself
• 1688: the dispute over Cologne v. necessary strategic area
  • French wanted Von Furstenburg- 71
  • Imperial wanted Joseph Clement of Bavaria- 17
• Louis took papal state of Avignon + it led to 9 yrs war